Raw Thoughts 9-8-2015

Not a recap, not a rundown, just my thoughts watching Raw on a Tuesday morning, with a remote control in hand.

Seth Rollins is really getting a good feel for this “20-minute Triple H-style opening promo,” but he seemed to fade out there toward the end. Maybe next week, we can start the show with an actual match? HA! Who am I kidding?

Foreshadowing a MitB cash-in at Night of Champions shockingly is less interesting to me than finding out where Sting is hiding Seth’s statue.

So, does Triple H turn on Seth before the end of the year, or is that going to be a post-WrestleMania thing? Because he’s definitely turning on Seth, that much is pretty clear.

The Divas match gets some good time on Raw and I still can’t bring myself to care. I just don’t give a shit about Paige.

Wait, didn’t the Ascension align with Stardust on SmackDown? And finally, Ambrose is back to going through the crowd with Reigns. It’s about time, that should’ve happened a few weeks ago. They really aren’t going to mention Cosmic Wasteland? Ah, there is it, throwaway comment mid-match.

Jesus, forget about putting Reigns back into the World Title picture yet, just let him team with Ambrose and go after the tag titles. The New Day makes EVERYTHING better, even Reigns and Ambrose.

I really think it’s a mistake having Braun Strowman speak when you have Bray right there. It’s just unnecessary.

Did no one tell Ryback where the camera was for this interview…? A Rybak-Kevin Owens program is probably something I can get behind. And good for KO having an apple. A good, healthy snack.

I normally hate champion vs. champion matches on Raw, but they actually made it make sense within the storyline. This crowd, though, is ridiculously quiet for this match, until the FEED ME MORE chants. Between the lackluster crowd and the HORRIBLE announcing, I just want to fast forward. Of course, a commercial break should be coming soon, just waiting on someone to get tossed outside so Raw can roll on after this…

There we go.

I really do like Ryback, but he needs something else to connect. Getting a fluke win over the champ because Sting caused a distraction probably won’t be it.

I’m not sure what the stupider story is: the Lana-Ziggler-Rusev-Summer Rae soap opera drama or feuding over a stolen statue. At least tonight, Seth got to interact with New Day AND E&C. That New Day-E&C-Dudleys segment really needed a Ron Simmons “DAMN!” to end it off.

I’m just fast forwarding through Summer Rae and Rusev. They have a host of soap opera writers on the payroll, they can’t even seem to keep an internal logic to their biggest soap opera story.

Orton-Sheamus? The FF button continues it’s workout as Raw bores on.

So… not Baron Corbin, then? Randy Orton will be the “surprise third man”? That… is an underwhelming SWERVE.

Turning on Torito seems out of nowhere, but that’s not really a surprise, either. Amazingly, they turned a Raw Dudleys match into focusing on a midget. And they say it’s not the Attitude Era any more…

Next week, I’m betting we see the debut of Bull-y Dudley.

Oh God, please let Cesaro destroy Miz. This Baltimore crowd was a terrible place to have Cesaro bust out some charisma. A Chicago crowd would have been MOLTEN for the cowboy uppercut. Of course, giving Miz as much offense as they are would kill any crowd, I guess. Jesus, this match has gone on too long. Cesaro should swing Miz into the barricade again and get it over with. But no, let’s get the Big Show involved here. GAH, I hate this company. And a WMD to Cesaro for good measure. Fuck off.

Bellas? FF.

New Day in the main event is the greatest thing that could happen to this program. I’m loving Xavier Woods with the trombone, Big E and Kofi look like they’re having the time of their lives. Although, seriously, someone is going to see Big E’s dancing and then require WWE to film him from the waist up at all times.

Well John Cena absolutely needed that win over Kofi to cement him as the man.

Oh good, one more segment with Sting and the statue. I was hoping we’d get some resolution to that story. Triple H and Stephanie really cheaped out with that statue if it gets crushed that easily. I assume the timing on that ending was off and E&C weren’t ready to be shown at the podcast, because the show really should have ended a minute or so sooner.

Definitely not the worst show in the world, I was a lot easier on the FF button than I usually am. But I think Raw has generally been on an upswing lately with some good shows that would be great at 2 hours instead of three. The set-up for Night of Champions hasn’t been bad and putting the focus of the show on Seth Rollins is a lot better than having it on Cena, but they could still afford to cut down on the time Rollins is on camera and give the time to some other people.

Next week, on the season premiere, we have a couple of title matches on the go-home Raw for Night of Champions, but right now, I’m heading over to the WWE Network for the Stone Cold Podcast, baby!